Need feedback on least busy week in November

[lconn]

Hi

We're planning our Disneyland trip for Novemeber. I've taken into account the info from the other threads and I'm thinking that we may go Nov 27th for a week but I'm also considering Nov 13th for the week.
I think we'd be satisfied with the amount of holiday decor that would be up for the earlier week. My biggest concern now is which week would be the least busy?? Either of those choices could have really big crowds on the weekends that we'd be sandwiched between. What crowd would be the potentially worse one? The Vetrans Day long weekend/Opening week crowds or the tail end of Thanksgiving weekend/getting closer to xmas with people wanting the full effect of the holiday decor?

 

[Sherry E]

Hi

We're planning our Disneyland trip for Novemeber. I've taken into account the info from the other threads and I'm thinking that we may go Nov 27th for a week but I'm also considering Nov 13th for the week.
I think we'd be satisfied with the amount of holiday decor that would be up for the earlier week. My biggest concern now is which week would be the least busy?? Either of those choices could have really big crowds on the weekends that we'd be sandwiched between. What crowd would be the potentially worse one? The Vetrans Day long weekend/Opening week crowds or the tail end of Thanksgiving weekend/getting closer to xmas with people wanting the full effect of the holiday decor?

Hmmm...good question. So you are thinking of either Sun., 11/13 and into that week or Sun., 11/27 and into that week...

If the season starts on 11/11, then that Veterans Day/holiday opening weekend will have worse crowds than the post-Thanksgiving weekend crowds.

Truthfully, I've read reports saying that the time frame immedately following Thanksgiving weekend and into the first week or two of December is as uncrowded as you will get for the holiday season. This doesn't mean that the week following 11/13 will be a zoo, necessarily, but there is some logic behind the post-Thanksgiving week.

Mind you, it's not going to be slow at any time during the season. There will be crowds there because it is the holiday season. More and more people are piling in to see the holiday decor and entertainment, and each season seems to be breaking attendance records. Throw in the fact that there will be new rides opening this year, and more people will visit DLR.

But the reasoning for the post-Thanksgiving choice is that folks go back to work and school in between the Thanksgiving break and the Christmas break...and the crowds begin to pick up again around mid-December. So therefore, right after Thanksgiving weekend ends might be an excellent time to go for the lowest holiday crowds possible and the full array of holiday food, entertainment, decor, etc.

Right now I have my own tentative plan to go to DLR post-Thanksgiving weekend and into the first part of December based on that 'in between holidays' reasoning!

There's a chance the season could begin on 11/18 this year (though unlikely). If that's when it starts and you go before that date, you will not get to experience the full holiday entertainment (like the nighttime Winter Castle, IASW Holiday, Christmas Fantasy Parade, Believe...in Holiday Magic fireworks, Reindeer Round-Up, Santa, etc.).

 

[Toolmaster]

We have gone several times the week before Thanksgiving that would be the week of the 13th this year and have found it to be great. The crowds are fairly light the weather is great and all the holiday decorations are up. We always avoid the weekends though just go during the week

 

[Mindy71]

The week after Thanksgiving has been the best time for us. The crowds were low & everything was decked out!

 

[wdwfan22]

I was there Veteran's Day and the the day after which was opening day for Christmas season, that weekend and the whole week after last November. (Nov 11 -20). The first weekend was pretty crazy, the next week was very slow. Really nice. About the only thing we needed a FP for was Space Mtn. The Saturday we left wasn't too busy either... of course it was raining off and on that day, so I'm sure that affected the crowds.

Not sure how long you want to go, but I would pick the week after Christmas opening and the following weekend.

 

[Sherry E]

We have gone several times the week before Thanksgiving that would be the week of the 13th this year and have found it to be great. The crowds are fairly light the weather is great and all the holiday decorations are up. We always avoid the weekends though just go during the week

There are some holiday decorations around the Resort (I'm including the hotels, as the GCH during the season is a big highlight) and food items that are not out until after Thanksgiving, unfortunately.

 

[lconn]

Thanks for your replies! I wasn't expecting it to be a split opinion, lol!

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I don't know if they have released the schedule yet but filming of the Christmas parade might also cause changes in crowd level. When we went November 2009 they switched the Christmas taping to our vacation dates last minute and it made for some big crowds that I wasn't expecting when I booked.